Cosmetic Surgery Recovery - Top Tips You Need To Know!

Modern cosmetic surgery procedures are becoming less and less invasive. Regardless of this fact, these procedures have very high patient gratification rates. Besides, most patients are excited by the results—especially since they are going to enjoy them for many years to come. 

Most patients desire to quicken their recovery process in order to get back to their normal daily schedules. However, it’s important to understand that every patient and procedure performed is different. Therefore, a lot of things can determine your recovery time after undergoing cosmetic surgery. 

This is the reason why we’ve compiled the top recovery tips you need to know after undergoing cosmetic surgery. Following these tips will help you recover faster, and resume your daily activities. 

Follow your doctor’s advice

This is the first thing to observe if you want to recover faster. However, most people tend to rely on the internet for advice, rather than following what their doctor said. You should never replace your doctor’s instructions with the information that you find online—even if it’s from reputable online resources. 

Your cosmetic surgeon is the only one who understands your medical history, as well as the details of your surgery. Therefore, your surgeon is in the best position to offer you the advice that you need to recover quickly. So, always contact your doctor in case you have any questions or concerns, and make sure that you follow the advice that they give. 

Don’t over-expose yourself to the sun

Exposing yourself to the sun for long periods of time risks damage to your scar tissue or skin. Therefore, ensure that you reduce sun exposure, wear the necessary clothing, and sunblock to protect yourself from the harmful UV rays.

At times, you will be required to wear compression garments after undergoing cosmetic surgery. Exposing yourself to the sun can make you sweat on the garment, and this can affect the results of the surgery.

Avoid staying in bed all day long

After a cosmetic surgery procedure, you will require plenty of rest within the first 48 hours. However, this doesn’t mean that you stay in bed all day long. Cosmetic surgeons at Peoria say that being active assists your body to recover faster, as well as reduce pain.

Staying active is important. While you don’t need to jog or do any strenuous activity, getting out of bed every few hours will assist in improving your blood flow. The best way to stay active is to walk around your house or doing gentle stretches for a few minutes.

Don’t be the “tough” guy or lady

Pain, swelling, and bruising are part of the natural healing process of your body. Moreover, they are common after any plastic cosmetic surgery procedure. Unfortunately, most patients tend to ignore or push through the pain. However, it’s essential to take any pain medication prescribed by your doctor. Avoiding your pain medication can delay your healing time—especially when you start struggling to overcome the pain.   

You should avoid herbal remedies or OTC pain medication. Such medication can not only interfere with your prescription medication, but they can also thin your blood. Whenever taking your prescribed pain medication, you should be aware of the common side effect—which is constipation. Drinking a lot of water and moving around regularly will help in reducing this. 

Ask for assistance

It can be hard to ask for assistance with the activities that you can do by yourself, like preparing dinner, carrying groceries, or even tying your shoes. But, you should allow someone to assist you with some of these strenuous activities until you recover. You need to let the incision sites heal externally and internally. Straining these sites can make the scars stretch, which can cause bleeding. 

So, make things easier for yourself by making the necessary preparations before your surgery. Make sure that you can easily access the items that you use regularly. Moreover, ask a friend or relative to assist you with other tasks like shopping, cleaning, meal preparation, or taking care of your kids. If you don’t have friends or family available for these tasks, consider outsourcing paid services. 

Avoid strenuous exercises

Yes, we’ve just highlighted the benefits of doing light stretches—however, ensure that you do not strain your body when exercising. Moreover, you should avoid strenuous exercise like weightlifting or running, as they can affect your recovery process. 

After cosmetic surgery, most people look forward to the time they will resume their normal exercise routine. However, you should avoid challenging exercises for a number of weeks after your surgery. This assists in speeding your recovery time. 

Working out makes your blood pressure rise. This, in turn, can increase bleeding, bruising, as well as inflammation. Engaging in rigorous exercises immediately after cosmetic surgery risks serious complications, like re-opening of sutures. When you feel like you are ready to resume your normal exercise schedule, make sure that you consult your doctor for advice.

Observe a healthy lifestyle

Whatever you eat or drink not only affects the results of your surgery, it can also have a big impact on your health. For instance, your surgeon will ask you to stop smoking for a few weeks prior to, and after your surgery. Nicotine can affect your healing process, leading to longer recovery times. Moreover, it can lead to other complications like bleeding, pain, as well as visible scarring.

Also, you should be moderate with your alcohol consumption. Drinking too much alcohol before and after your surgery has numerous drawbacks to your health. Moreover, it can also affect how you recover after the surgery.

Therefore, it’s advisable to be open with your doctor when it comes to your lifestyle. Let your doctor know if you smoke, drink alcohol, or if you are under any medication. This will allow your doctor to advise you on what to do in preparation for your surgery. 

Use compression garments or ice packs if directed to use them

Certain types of cosmetic surgery like an eyelid lift, nose job, or facelift will require you to apply ice packs in order to reduce swelling. Therefore, ensure that you apply ice packs periodically, even if the surgery area is covered by a bandage. 

Other surgical procedures like liposuction, breast lift, or breast augmentation might require the patient to put on a compression garment. Therefore, you should never underestimate the importance of compression garments. They assist your body in controlling bruising and swelling. 

Moreover, compression garments are essential for body contouring, as they promote skin retraction and prevent the skin from wrinkling. The pressure from these garments helps in making scars flatter, softer, as well as less visible. 

Avoid taking medication, herbs, or supplements without consulting your doctor

Typically, any of the above products can be harmful or affect your healing process. For instance, Advil, turmeric, green tea, or any anti-inflammatory medication increases the possibility of bleeding after your surgery. 

Other medications can inhibit anesthesia or pain medication from working. Therefore, ensure that your doctor gives you a list of the things that you should avoid. Typically, your doctor should advise you to avoid these products for at least two weeks prior to and after your surgery. Lastly, make sure that you follow any other instructions given by your surgeon.